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BEA Cities

The Aburrá Valley Region is made up of 10 municipalities including Medellín, the second-largest city in Colombia. It has a population of over 3.5 million, with 2.4 million in Medellín. The Municipality of Medellín joined the BEA in 2015 and the broader Aburrá Valley Region joined in 2017. Local BEA partners are coordinated by the Colombia Green Building Council (Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible – CCCS).

Aburrá Valley Region and Medellín’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy:By the end of 2017, Medellín will adopt a mandatory building energy code to apply to all new public construction.

One of the oldest settlements in Romania, Alba Iulia implements green initiatives on behalf of its 73,937 residents. The Alba Iulia Municipality is a dynamic public administration focused on turning Alba Iulia into a “green city” by employing its resources rationally and thinking in the long term in order to ensure a competitive, sustainable and considerable energy future. Alba Iulia joined the BEA in 2015, and local BEA partners are coordinated by Johnson Controls.

Alba Iulia’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Develop relationships with investors to align with local implementation in 2018 of the Alba Iulia Smart City Pilot Project.

Serbia’s capital city, Belgrade has a population of around 1.17 million and joined the BEA as a deep dive city in 2016. City leaders in Belgrade have identified that better building insulation and HVAC installations would lower energy costs in residential and public buildings, while enabling the expansion of efficient district heating to more of the city. BEA partners in Belgrade are coordinated by UN Environment.

Belgrade’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Development of standardized technical and financial procedures, including transfer to consumption based billing, for building retrofits that can be customized to each of the major building typologies found in the city.

Project: Project preparation for retrofit to improve the energy efficiency of an existing public building (probably school) or a set of buildings in line with existing regulations and according to high energy performance standards.

As Colombia’s capital and largest city with a population just under 8 million people, Bogotá joined the BEA as a Deep Dive city in 2016 and is a member of the BEA City Advisory Panel. Bogotá has significant local government capacity and is currently seeking to implement a new national building energy regulation to encourage more efficient construction. The city also has a focus on providing opportunity for all residents as it grows and redevelops, including an emphasis on sustainable development of new or revitalized districts. Bogotá and its BEA partners are coordinated by Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS), the national Green Building Council.

Bogotá’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Local adaptation and implementation of a national regulation for building construction, including energy, and integrating these into city master or district plans.

Project: Apply best practice for new efficient buildings in a district-scale regeneration project.

Bucharest District 3 includes Downtown Bucharest, and is the most densely populated section of the city with 400,000 residents. Working with the BEA, Bucharest District 3 plans to retrofit schools and apartment buildings, while establishing and strengthening relations with private investors. Bucharest District 3 joined the BEA in 2015, and local BEA partners are coordinated by Johnson Controls.

Bucharest District 3’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Establish and strengthen relations with private investors, to be captured within their Strategy for Sustainable Development.

With 1.6 million people, Coimbatore is the second largest city in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 2016, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation joined the BEA, and BEA partners are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Da Nang’s government has prioritized building efficiency as part of its new Resilience Strategy to address public health and economic risks from climate change. Local leaders are exploring creative ways to signal to property developers and building managers that efficiency is a public priority. In 2016, Da Nang joined the BEA as a deep dive city. BEA partners in Da Nang are coordinated by 100 Resilient Cities and the City of Da Nang’s Climate Change Coordination Office (CCCO).

Da Nang’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Develop a directive for the implementation and monitoring of building efficiency for all new and existing buildings with floor area above 2500 m2.

Dubai is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, and is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 2.6 million residents. In 2016, Dubai joined the BEA, and local BEA partners are coordinated by the Emirates Green Building Council.

Dubai’s Commitments to the BEA:

Project: Benchmark the energy performance of 100 buildings in Dubai by selecting buildings (with a focus on hotels, schools and shopping malls), setting up protocols, and beginning data collection by January 2018.

With a population of almost 850,000 people, Eskişehir is currently pursuing multiple district redevelopment projects to improve construction quality and public spaces. Eskişehir is also striving to expedite effective implementation of Turkey’s national mandate for all commercial/residential buildings to have energy performance certificates. In 2016, Eskişehir joined the BEA as a deep dive city. BEA partners in Eskişehir are coordinated by WRI Sustainable Cities Turkey.

Eskişehir’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Assist with the implementation of the national-level mandate for energy performance certificates for all commercial/residential buildings, and use incentives to achieve “B” level or higher energy certificates for new construction.

Project: Integrate building efficiency measures in a new public building project by Eskisehir Metropolitan Municipality to demonstrate “B” level or higher energy performance.

Tracking progress: Adapt newly developed national building energy performance monitoring system to track city level building sector energy consumption.

Iskandar, Malaysia is an economic development corridor in Malaysia, with a current population of 1.8 million. Iskandar Regional Development Authority, the driver for Iskandar Malaysia, joined the BEA program in 2015.

Iskandar’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Incorporate building energy efficiency requirements in building guidelines within Puteri Harbor and Medini City – two ongoing catalytic townships in Iskandar, Malaysia.

Project: Facilitate pilot projects within these two townships together with local authorities via energy efficiency building guidelines and incentives.

Located in western Mexico, Jalisco is one Mexico’s 31 states and encompasses the city of Guadalajara. Jalisco has a population of 7.8 million. Jalisco joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by the Carbon Trust.

Jalisco’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Publish the State Climate Change Action Plan (PEACC), which includes the implementation and monitoring of the Energy and Carbon Management Plan for the State public buildings. (Target reduction on carbon emissions of public buildings: 40% by 2018, below 2013 baseline). Additionally Jalisco will establish an annual budget for different ministries to finance energy efficiency projects.

KwaDukuza’s Commitments to the BEA:

Mandaluyong has a population of 386,000. It is one of the seventeen local governments that comprise Metro Manila. Mandaluyong joined the BEA in 2015, and local BEA partners are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Mandaluyong’s Commitments to the BEA:

Mérida’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Adopt and implement a building energy code.

Project: Implement energy saving and low-emissions solutions in selected public buildings, infrastructure and homes to improve services, health and well-being to create a greener and more inclusive city.

Mexico City, with a population of nearly 9 million, was one of the inaugural cities globally to officially join the BEA platform at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York City, and kicked off BEA activities in early 2015. Designated as a deep dive city in May 2016, Mexico City has successfully put in place a local building code and is now working towards code implementation. BEA partners in Mexico City are coordinated by WRI Mexico. Dozens of other global BEA partners have been engaged and provided advice and assistance throughout the ongoing BEA program in Mexico City.

Mexico City’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: To adopt and implement a building energy code.

Project: To retrofit four public buildings, utilizing audits and benchmarking tools.

Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, USA with a population of 600,000. Milwaukee participates in the national Better Buildings Challenge to provide building owners and property managers with tools and resources to improve energy efficiency in buildings. Milwaukee was one of the inaugural cities globally to officially join the BEA platform at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York City. Click here for more information about Milwaukee’s Better Buildings Challenge program.

Milwaukee’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Through its comprehensive Better Buildings Challenge program for commercial building owners, the City of Milwaukee: 1) Established efficiency targets (20% reduction over a decade in participating buildings); 2) Offers incentives and financing through its innovative PACE financing program that is a national model for other communities; 3) Leads by example through energy efficiency in government buildings (same 20% reduction target); 4) Aims to provide training to support building owner and occupant actions; 5) Provides technical services to identify energy efficient equipment and train a next generation workforce to support efficient building operations.

Project: Refine Milwaukee’s ECO Building Design Guidelines, pilot them on one or more building construction projects, and improve them based on experience and feedback received.

Porto Alegre is the capital city of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. The city has a population of 1.51 million. Porto Alegre joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by WRI Brazil.

Porto Alegre’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Launch a municipal fund for efficiency and renewable investment.

Project: Benchmark municipal and school buildings to prioritize buildings for investment.

A rapidly-growing city that is a national leader in low emissions development planning, Rajkot is beginning to expand its activities on priority sectoral actions, including building efficiency. In 2016, Rajkot joined the BEA as a deep dive city. BEA partners in Rajkot are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Rajkot’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Developing a Technical Guidebook on green building measures for building efficiency as per local climatic conditions.

Project: Retrofit one or more existing municipal buildings as a demonstration project, perhaps including social housing developments.

Tracking progress: Design and implement a Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework for policy and project.

Riga is the capital and largest city in Latvia, with a population of nearly 700,000, making it the largest city in the Baltic States. Riga joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by Johnson Controls.

Riga’s Commitments to the BEA:

Santa Rosa is the second largest city in the Philippine province of Laguna. Santa Rosa joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Santa Rosa’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Adopt a mandatory green building code, with an official launch by July 2018 and presentation of the approved Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) during the Santa Rosa Environment Day Celebration for public engagement and compliance.

Project: Launch a Green Building City Challenge, with rewards and incentives for the winners, to reduce energy consumption of new and existing buildings and promote the use of renewable energy. By September 2017, inventory the building efficiency status of industries in Santa Rosa and draft concepts and guidelines of the Challenge.

Science City of Muñoz has a population of about 75,000 people, located 150 kilometers north of Manila. Science City of Muñoz joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Science City of Muñoz’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Adopt and approve a building energy code to apply to all new construction by September 2017.

Project: Disseminate information about the building energy code to all stakeholders by June 2018 to prepare for code implementation and compliance.

Shimla has a population of 170,000, and is the capital of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The Shimla Municipal Corporation joined the BEA in 2016, and local BEA partners are coordinated by ICLEI South Asia.

Located in northwestern Mexico, Sonora is one Mexico’s 31 states with a population of 2.85 million and encompasses the city of Hermosillo. Sonora joined the BEA in 2017, and local BEA partners are coordinated by WRI Mexico.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan with a population of 13.62 million people. The Tokyo Municipal Government joined the BEA in 2015.

Tokyo’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Promote benchmarking and reporting programs in East and Southeast Asia, including work in Putrajaya and Iskandar, Malaysia to transfer a carbon reporting program for building emissions reduction.

For the City of Tshwane, which hosts the executive branch of South Africa’s national government departments, international consulates, academic and research institutions, the drive to be a national leader in building efficiency is one motivation behind the city’s aim to make its buildings the country’s greenest. In 2016, City of Tshwane was the first African city to join the BEA network of cities. BEA partners in Tshwane are coordinated by the South Africa Green Building Council (GBCSA).

City of Tshwane’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy (tentative): Implement the building codes sections of the green buildings by-law, and incorporate the use of financial and non-financial incentives for above-code portions of the green buildings by-law.

Ulaanbaatar is both the largest populated city (1.3 million) and capital of Mongolia. In March 2017, Ulaanbaatar joined the BEA and the city’s building efficiency work was showcased at the BEA East Asia launch.

BEA partners in Ulaanbaatar are coordinated by ICLEI East Asia and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Ulaanbaatar’s Commitments to the BEA:

Policy: Develop standardized technical and financial procedures for residential building retrofits that can be replicated across Ulaanbaatar’s districts.

Project: Develop a demonstration project for residential buildings in the Bayangol district, in line with existing regulations and national thermal performance standards.

Warsaw’s Commitments to the BEA:

Project: Develop and construct the Warsaw Social district, a newly planned residential area, implementing Warsaw Housing Standard indicators that will take into account measures on energy efficiency, water management and impact on climate.